Jennifer Holmes Named Inaugural Dean Of Pace University Sands College Of Performing Arts

Jennifer Holmes, PhD, has been appointed the first dean of Pace University's Sands College of Performing Arts.  She has most recently served as executive director of the college since it launched in the fall of 2023 and as executive director of the Pace School of Performing Arts (PPA) since November 2021. 

Sands College has achieved a global reputation for cultivating the talent of a new generation of performing artists. Its undergraduate and graduate degree programs in acting, directing, musical theater, commercial dance, production and design for stage and screen, and stage management lead students directly to the highest levels of their industry. The college is consistently a top producer of talent on Broadway, in Hollywood, and around the globe.  

In making the announcement, Pace President Marvin Krislov cited Holmes as an internationally recognized leader in arts education.  “It is with great enthusiasm that we announce Jennifer Holmes as the inaugural dean of the Sands College of Performing Arts at Pace University. Jennifer's extensive background and her international recognition in arts education make her the ideal leader for this new college. We are excited to witness her innovative vision and leadership as she guides the Sands College of Performing Arts into a bright and promising future. Her commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment will undoubtedly enrich our community and elevate the already highly acclaimed performing arts at Pace to new heights in the Pace spirit of Opportunitas.” 

Holmes is continuing her work at Pace at an exciting time. The Sands College of Performing Arts recently graduated its first class in May after becoming the seventh school and college within Pace thanks to a $25 million gift from Pamela and Rob Sands, J.D. '84, the latter of whom currently serves as the chairman of the Pace Board of Trustees. 

The Sands' gift is part of a larger campaign of the more than $200 million transformation of One Pace Plaza, its flagship building in lower Manhattan. It will include new academic spaces, a modernized residence hall, and a new state-of-the-art Performing Arts Center. Holmes will collaborate in the construction of the Performing Arts Center which will include a 450-seat proscenium theater, 200-seat flexible theater and a 99-seat black box theater. The new space will also feature scene and costume shops, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms, green rooms, dance studios, and public gathering spaces.  

“Leading Sands College of Performing Arts is more than an honor—it's a mission to champion bold creativity and fearless innovation,” said Holmes. “Together with a community of artists, educators, and visionaries, we stand poised to redefine the landscape of contemporary theatre, media, and performance on a global scale. The renovation of our new Performing Arts Center at One Pace Plaza, the addition of distinguished faculty members, and the development of cutting-edge degree programs herald an exhilarating new chapter for our institution.”  

Holmes continued, “I've always dreamed of leading a performing arts college that I would have aspired to attend as a young artist. Today, that dream has become a reality. At Sands College, we cultivate graduates who are not just catalysts for change, but pioneers destined to elevate our industry with boundless imagination, unwavering courage, and exceptional talent. Leading one of the world's premier performing arts schools, alongside President Krislov and the extraordinary faculty and staff at Sands College is exhilarating and fills me with a profound sense of purpose.”   

Prior to her appointment at Pace, Holmes served as the Dean of the College of Arts, Communications, and Design at Long Island University (LIU) at both the Post and Brooklyn campuses. She was named the inaugural dean of two new schools at LIU: The Roc Nation School of Music, Sports and Entertainment and the George Polk School of Communications.  

Holmes holds a PhD and an MA from New York University and a BA from Vassar College and is an internationally recognized leader in arts education. Her work as a performer and director has been seen in theater, film, and television. She is the founder and director of Global Empowerment Theatre, an international non-profit theater organization. She has devised theater in India, Kenya, Myanmar, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the US. 

About Pace University   

Since 1906, Pace University has been transforming the lives of its diverse students—academically, professionally, and socioeconomically. With campuses in New York City and Westchester County, Pace offers bachelor, master, and doctoral degree programs to 13,600 students in its College of Health Professions, Dyson College of Arts and Sciences, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Lubin School of Business, Sands College of Performing Arts, School of Education, and Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems.   

About Sands College of Performing Arts 

Sands College of Performing Arts is a cutting-edge performing arts school that nurtures artistic innovation and develops future leaders and changemakers in the profession. Renowned for its diverse range of highly-ranked programs, Sands College is committed to cultivating top-talent performers, designers, and production professionals. From Hollywood to Broadway, Sands College students and alumni have appeared in major film and television productions and theater performances such as & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, A Strange Loop, Almost Famous, Hadestown, Hamilton, Kimberly Akimbo, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge, Ohio State Murders, Wicked, and the 2022 Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Recognized by Playbill in 2023 as one of the 10 most represented colleges on Broadway, Sands College continues to inspire the next generation of artists on stage and screen.